Tracking systems traditionally have been used to provide benefits to sellers as well as consumers. For instance, one example of a tracking system described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,082 to Davis et al. prevents products from being sold by unauthorized distributors. Another example of a tracking system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,990 to Montanari et al. allows consumers to verify the organic status of a food product and/or to identify the source of contamination.
In the tobacco industry and society in general, however, there is a lack of any satisfactory method for tracking tobacco packages. Once a tobacco package is purchased, the purchaser can, without much apprehension, give or sell the tobacco product to underage persons. Additionally, if underage persons are found to have been using tobacco products, there usually is no way to conclusively determine the purchaser of the tobacco package. The underage persons are usually reluctant to divulge the name of the person who gave or sold them the tobacco package, and if they do divulge a name, that person usually denies the same, putting the law enforcement personnel in the position to determine who is telling the truth.
Regardless of the type or types of tobacco product used, tobacco use has detrimental effects on physical and mental health. Not a single organ or organ system in the body is unaffected by exposure to smoke, particularly chronic exposure. Smoking or chewing tobacco is directly related to thousands upon thousands of deaths each year from cancer of the mouth, throat and lungs, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and heart disease, to name a few.
Unfortunately, smoking as a way of life has continued among certain parts of the population and is still portrayed by Hollywood as a sign of being rebellious. Young people often begin to smoke to draw from this image, using a cigarette as a calling card for their particular clique. Regardless of the plethora of information available to young people today with respect to its health consequences, tobacco use is often looked upon as a right of passage from adolescence to adulthood; it is a gesture that accompanies the movement from your family of origin to independence.
Although laws have been implemented to restrict the sale of tobacco to those below eighteen years of age, tobacco products are still easily obtainable by young persons. Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods for tracking tobacco packages in a way that attempts to inhibit the use of tobacco products by minors and acts as a deterrent to underage tobacco use.